A blog launched on the 41st anniversary of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the first pro-life organisation in the world, established on 11 January 1967. SPUC has been a leader in the educational and political battle against abortion, human embryo experimentation and euthanasia since then. I write this blog in my role as SPUC's chief executive, commenting on pro-life news, reflecting on pro-life issues and promoting SPUC's work.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Must-read pro-life news-stories, Tue 23 July

Top stories:

Man in forced abortion threat case grateful to SPUC
The young man at the centre of the abortion case in the Dublin High Court on 16 July has said he is extremely grateful to the pro-life groups which helped him prevent his girlfriend from being forced to travel to England for an abortion. SPUC and Women's Net crisis pregnancy agency had provided him with advice and support when he approached them earlier in the week. Liam Gibson SPUC's development officer in Northern Ireland, said: "This case highlights the very serious issue of women being coerced into having abortions. [SPUC, 22 July]

Explicit sex ed agenda challenged by pro-family campaign Safe at School
In a letter published in The Telegraph newspaper, SPUC's Safe at School campaign has challenged the agenda of groups who want explicit sex education to be imposed upon primary schools under the cover of science lessons. The letter from Safe at School was written in response to a letter published in The Telegraph on 19 July from the Sex Education Forum, the Mothers' Union and the Royal College of Nursing, among others. The letter from Safe at School, written by its coordinator Antonia Tully, said: "Most parents are not drawing their children’s attention to genital organs and schools shouldn’t either." [SPUC, 22 July]

Liverpool Care Pathway: 1st pro-life group to sound alarm welcomes review's recommendation
The first pro-life group to sound the alarm about the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) has welcomed a report's recommendation that the LCP be replaced. SPUC Pro-Life warned about the LCP as long ago as September 2008, in an article ("Liverpool Care Pathway – comfort for the dying or backdoor euthanasia?") in its newspaper The Pro-Life Times. On Saturday, the Council of SPUC Pro-Life, its democratically-elected governing body of grassroots activists, passed a motion welcoming the recommendation. [SPUC, 22 July]

Pro-life leaders react to US Bishops agency’s funding of pro-abortion groups
Pro-life leaders are expressing outrage after LifeSiteNews.com revealed that Catholic Relief Services, the US Catholic bishops’ overseas aid agency, is funding two leading pro-abortion organisations, CARE and Population Services International (PSI). John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive commented: “Firstly, CARE and PSI's knowledge that, year after year, CRS will give them millions of dollars for ostensibly ethical projects enables them to budget and plan ahead for their unethical activities. Secondly, receiving millions from CRS helps whitewash their reputations in the wider world and entrenches their presence in the countries where they operate. Lastly, there are legions of pro-life/pro-family Catholic initiatives which desperately need funding, such as MaterCare International, the Billings Ovulation Method and Culture of Life Africa. CRS' millions for CARE and PSI should be given to them instead." [LifeSiteNews.com, 19 July]

SPUC Scotland responds to nursing home director's assisted suicide comments
SPUC Scotland has responded to a nursing home director's comments about assisted suicide. Dr Chai Patel, chairman of a large chain of nursing homes, seemed to promote the idea of people being offering the choice of assisted suicide. A spokeswoman for SPUC Scotland said Dr Patel represented "a corporate, money-making body that no doubt sees from the example of Dignitas that there is a lot of money to be made from suicide clinics and can only lead one to conclude that these comments are about business not care. "[They] send out a dangerous message to those in our society who are elderly, infirm or dependent on others for some kind of help, support or care. Illness and old age do not rob people of dignity, but treating them as disposable or placing quality of life judgments on their existence does. Giving good care and understanding and time to those in need is the real act of mercy." [Scottish Catholic Observer, 19 July]

Other stories:

Abortion

Reported death of woman, following 2012 London abortion, introduced in final week of Ireland's abortion debate [Pat Buckley, 22 July]

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John Smeaton

About me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 33 years. I became director of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to SPUC's staff, supporters and advisers for their help to me in researching, writing and producing this blog.

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